Joel 3:13

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness [is] great.

Put {H7971} ye in the sickle {H4038}, for the harvest {H7105} is ripe {H1310}: come {H935}, get you down {H3381}; for the press {H1660} is full {H4390}, the fats {H3342} overflow {H7783}; for their wickedness {H7451} is great {H7227}.

Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, and tread, for the winepress is full. The vats are overflowing, for their wickedness is great.

Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because their wickedness is great.

Put ye in the sickle; for the harvest is ripe: come, tread ye; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

Commentary

Joel 3:13 delivers a powerful and vivid prophetic image of divine judgment, using agricultural metaphors familiar to its original audience. The verse directly follows Joel's description of the nations being summoned to the "valley of Jehoshaphat" (Joel 3:12), a place symbolic of God's judgment.

Context

This verse is situated within Joel's prophecy concerning the Day of the Lord, a recurring theme in the Old Testament referring to a time of God's intervention in history, often involving judgment for the wicked and deliverance for His people. Here, it specifically addresses the judgment upon the nations that have oppressed Judah and Jerusalem. The command "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe" signifies that the time for judgment has fully arrived, implying that the wickedness of these nations has reached its peak, making them ready for divine reckoning.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Judgment and Justice: The central message is God's unwavering justice. The imagery of the harvest and the winepress underscores the certainty and severity of God's judgment against those who oppose Him and His people. It highlights that there is a limit to divine patience, and eventually, wickedness will face its due consequences.
  • The Fullness of Wickedness: The phrase "for their wickedness is great" provides the explicit reason for the impending judgment. This concept, where sin accumulates to a point of no return, is seen elsewhere in scripture, such as when God delayed judgment on the Amorites because their iniquity was "not yet full" (Genesis 15:16).
  • Harvest and Winepress Metaphors: These are potent biblical symbols for judgment. The "harvest" (qatsir in Hebrew) represents the gathering of the wicked for destruction, much like a farmer gathers crops. The "winepress" (gat) where "the fats overflow" vividly depicts the crushing and overflowing of blood, symbolizing the intensity of God's wrath being poured out. These metaphors are echoed in the New Testament, particularly in descriptions of God's final judgment in Revelation 14.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew terms used evoke powerful agricultural scenes. The word for "sickle" (ืžึทื’ึผึธืœ - maggal) and "harvest" (ืงึธืฆึดื™ืจ - qatsir) are direct references to the reaping process. Similarly, "press" (ื’ึผึทืช - gat) and "fats" (ื™ึฐืงึธื‘ึดื™ื - yeqavim, referring to the vats or troughs) clearly describe the components of a winepress. The use of these common, tangible elements made the impending judgment deeply relatable and terrifying to the ancient Israelites, emphasizing the tangible and inescapable nature of God's decree.

Practical Application

Joel 3:13 serves as a sobering reminder that God is just and that sin will not go unpunished indefinitely. For believers, it offers assurance that God sees and will ultimately address the injustices of the world, providing a future hope of vindication and righteousness. For all, it is a call to examine one's own life and the state of society, urging repentance and a turning towards God before the "harvest" of judgment arrives. This verse highlights the profound truth that actions have consequences, and divine accountability is a certainty, reinforcing the importance of living righteously and seeking God's mercy.

Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Revelation 14:15

    And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

  • Revelation 14:20

    And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.

  • Mark 4:29

    But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

  • Hosea 6:11

    Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.

  • Isaiah 63:3

    I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people [there was] none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

  • Jeremiah 51:33

    For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon [is] like a threshingfloor, [it is] time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come.

  • Matthew 13:39

    The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
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